USA vs. Canada, 2018 World Juniors: Which NHL teams have prospects in the game?

Twenty-four of the 31 NHL teams will be represented by prospects Friday at New Era Field.

Dec 29, 2017, 5:24 PM UTC

Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images

The most interesting game of the 2018 World Juniors preliminary stage goes down Friday between the United States and Canada at New Era Field. Not only is it the first outdoor game in the history of the tournament, but it’s also a rematch of last year’s gold medal game with major implications.

The Americans, despite a roster loaded with past and future NHL first-round picks, dropped a surprising game to Slovakia Thursday night. That same Slovakia team lost 6-0 to Canada just a day before, so it’s not exactly a strong sign for the U.S. entering a game on minimal rest that’ll be played in the freezing cold.

They’re still likely to advance to the playoff stage after opening the tournament with a 9-0 blowout win over Denmark, but losses to Canada and Finland in their next two games would put them in a brutal position going forward. Luckily, that opener showed how talented Team USA is, and a short turnaround gives the teenagers little time to dwell on their failings.

At the same time, if you’re an NHL fan, you’re probably sitting at home trying to figure out which prospects belong to which teams. CBS Sports’ Pete Blackburn recently suggested putting patches of NHL teams’ logos on players’ WJC jerseys, a good idea that hasn’t been implemented yet.

So to help your viewing experience, here’s a quick breakdown of the USA and Canada rosters by NHL affiliation. Click here to see the complete rosters for all 10 teams and key players to watch.